A Change
by SabiGirls
Summary: It started out as a change of scenery. It ended as something completely different. Alex/Mark/OC Slightly AU, changing different time periods/seasons.


**New Story, Alex/Mark/OC. I found out that one Shepherd sister had yet to be revealed so I jumped in & took the opportunity when it revealed itself. After hours of searching, I found the perfect candidate for what she could look like: Hilary Duff, both brunette & blonde hair. Blonde hair in the beginning then brunette which will be her original hair color.**

**Enjoy! I own nothing!**

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><p>Seattle was nothing like New York City, I had officially come to that conclusion. The weather was constantly muggy &amp; rainy, plus the sun was myth until proven true for a few short days, maybe even hours. But something about Seattle calmed me. The fact that it wasn't New York was actually pretty great for me because nothing had gone right for me out there.<p>

Maybe things could change out here.

Cristina & I had gone to college together, med school she (and Dr. Webber) invited me out to Seattle for her short vacation period in January, I happily obliged. Plus, my brother was there & he could use a surprise. I was the good sister you know?

So I wasn't expecting pandemonium & chaos to erupt. All I expected were good things because too many bad things had been happening as of lately.

"Hi. I'm looking for Cristina Yang. Can you page her please?" I asked, stepping to the front desk, tapping my thing fingers on the counter & waited for my friend to come down. Turning around and facing the front doors, I recognized a face coming forward. Two faces. Two extremely familiar faces.

"I'm just saying that maybe you could grow to love the trailer." Derek's voice said as I turned around and faced the secretary once again.

"And I'm 'just saying' that I never will. I grew up living in homes Derek. Not trailers, but homes. Apartments even." Addison's voice caused me to cringe as I nervously scratched my head & attempted to hide my face from the two of them.

"You paged me?" Looking up quickly, I motioned from across the large front desk to Cristina. When she didn't see me, I tried whisper-shouting her name. That got her attention.

"Nicola! What are you doing?" Derek's head whipped up and he looked around the lobby for this 'Nicola' person that Cristina was calling. Spotting the blonde heading towards his fellow doctor, he stopped all movements.

"Nicola?"

"Shit." I turned back around & faced my brother, a fake smile plastered on my face. "Derek! Surprise!"

"What are you doing here?"

"What, so you can run away from your problems but I can't?" I looked shocked as he started to nod his head slowly. Walking over to him, my tan platform wrap heels clicked on the marble underneath me.

"Yes. Because last time I checked, your wife never cheated on you." Addison cringed a little before Derek continued. "I came to Seattle to get away from my New York City life."

"Yet, here a big part of that 'New York City life' is, in the flesh. And as far as I'm concerned, the man I loved & was engaged to cheating on me with my best friend and sister-in-law was equally as painful." Derek's jaw dropped before he scoffed and let out a scoff.

"What's up with the blonde hair? Last time I checked, my sister was a brunette." Shrugging, I smirked at his rapid change of subject.

"I needed a change." Turning back to Cristina, who looked extremely uncomfortable, I sighed. "Sorry. Now for this tour?"

"Right. Follow me." I unzipped my leather jacket and followed her towards the elevators. Derek shouted after me but I just gave him a small wave. Stepping in behind Cristina, I let out a breath that I didn't even know I was holding in.

"Don't. Ask."

"Wasn't gonna."

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><p>By lunch time, I had seen enough of the hospital to know my way around. Mainly because I had a photographic memory. Sometimes it was blessing but at times it was the complete opposite. Cristina led me to a table with four other doctors in blue scrubs, similar to hers, who were talking animatedly about something. At least until I showed up.<p>

"So which one of you is Meredith?" When the girl sitting next to the blonde & Cristina looked up, I sat down in the only other empty seat across from her & folded my hands on the table. "I hate him too. He's a douchebag & should really not be allowed near women period."

"Why do you hate him so much?" The blonde girl asked, munching on a carrot stick. Reaching over to the curly brunette guy's tray, I snagged a celery stick before smiling at him.

"You mind?" He shook his head no & I smiled before looking back at the blonde. I held up to fingers before biting into the celery. "One, he is still with Addison which pisses me off to absolutely no end. She's the reason I dislike gingers so much. Two," Stopping to put down one finger and bite into the celery again, I continued. "He treats all us sister like we're beneath him when he knows we are the complete opposite."

"What do you mean beneath him?" Meredith asked, stabbing her pasta salad with the plastic fork.

"I'd like to say because he's a head surgeon & all but that's no the case. It's because we all have messed up in the past, dangerously messed up, & he can't get over the fact that we have. As if he's never made a mistake before."

They all nodded they introduced themselves.

"Izzie." The blonde one said, now moving on to a chicken salad.

"George O'Malley." The brunette, short guy smiled at me before taking a sip of his water. Looking at the other guy, he grinned & nodded his head at me.

"Alex Karev."

"Devil's Spawn." Meredith corrected, smiling at me. Alex shook his head and continued to eat his sloppy Joe.

"Why do you call him that?" I asked, now intrigued.

"He's rude-" Meredith started.

"Annoying." Izzie added in.

"Arrogant." Cristina piped up from her seat.

"A man-whore." George said spitefully before continuing to eat.

"And he called me a nurse on the first day. Take your pick." Meredith finished before Alex huffed.

"Don't hold back, please." He said, a mouth full of food. I laughed before picking my bag up off the floor.

"It was great meeting you guys but I have a meeting with Dr. Webber that I have a feeling is going to be important so…" Getting up & walking towards the exit before coming back and taking the rest of Alex's sloppy Joe. "Thanks I'm starving."

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><p>An hour later, I walked out of Dr. Webber's office holding a pair of scrubs &amp; a key card with my name &amp; picture on it.<p>

_How in the hell had he done that?_

"So what happened in there?" Cristina asked as I walked into the locker rooms. The 'gang' as I had so affectionately named them sat around, scattered and waiting for my answer.

"He offered me a switch. Finish my residency here, live in Seattle." Plopping down on a hardwood bench, I looked down in shock at my scrubs. "Said I would be on Bailey's rounds."

"We're on Bailey's rounds. You'd be with us." George said from his locker where he was eating again. Does he ever stop?

"Yeah, it could be fun." Izzie cheerily replied to which everyone stared at her. "Or not. Saving lives can be not fun too."

"When do you have to decide?" Alex asked from the other bench where he was reading some health book.

"3 O'Clock." I replied, flipping my hair out of my eyes.

"Are you gonna do it?" Meredith asked and suddenly, for possibly the first time in my life, I didn't know what to say.

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><p>"No." Derek stated (not said, stated) as he walked down the hall.<p>

"Why not? I have every right to be here Derek!" Following behind him & keeping the pace, I surprised even myself at how fast I could walk in four inch heels.

"Look, you're just another reminder of what happened!" He said, raising his voice.

"And Addison isn't? She's the one who did something wrong Derek, not me! I was a victim just like you. But she gets to stay?" He opened his mouth to speak again before I held up my hand & chuckled a little. "It doesn't even matter anyways Derek. Because it is my life and my decision, not yours. I'm not a sixteen year old girl anymore & you sure as hell aren't my dad. So _when_ I say yes, know that I'm doing this for me. Not for you & not for Ma- him. Got it? It's my life and I'm in charge of it. You lost the right to have any say in my life when you left New York City, acting as if you were the only one that got hurt in this entire ordeal!"

Furiously wiping away the tears that had started falling from my green eyes, I marched away from him & towards the elevators. After getting to Richard's office, I opened the door and walked over to his desk.

"I accept."


End file.
